Humbulani Bulala, 47, of Maniini Block K near Thohoyandou, Limpopo has been living with a donated kidney from an unknown donor since 16 May 2002.

“I was first diagnosed with kidney failure in 1993,” Bulala said. “After everything was explained to my family, my older sister Vuledzani volunteered to donate her kidney to me.”

In 1995, Bulala and Vuledzani underwent tests to confirm Vuledzani was a donor match. But further procedures to confirm the match not be done as the theatre rooms at Dr. George Mukari Hospital in Pretoria, where the pair had been referred, were being rennovated.

Just one year later, Vuledzani died while finally undergoing the needed procedures.

“When she went back for the screening process again on May 16 1996, she lost her life,” Bulala said. “Her death came four days before the whole process could be completed on May 20.”

It was a blow for the family  – and Bulala who was still sick and now riddled with guilt.

“I blamed myself for her death,” she told OurHealth.  “At some stage, I wished God would take my life and return my sister as I was just a useless person who could not do anything because of illness.”

Bulala continued following treatments and almost four years to the day after her sister died, an unknown donor gave Bulala a new chance at life.

“I had mixed feelings after the operation,” she said. “I was happy to receive a kidney (but) on the other hand, I wondered why the donor came only after the death of my sister.”

However, today Bulala says she is happy that she is living a normal life like others.

“Today I am an active person (and) I am helping to support my sister’s children,” says Bulala, who is also a mother of two and now runs the school her sister used to manage.

Bulala is also a councillor at Vhembe District Municipality.

Bulala says her illness made her realise that there is a need for the community to be more informed about kidney disease.

“Kidney disease is very rare and few understand it,” she said. “Most of the time, when one is suffering from kidney disease, people start to associate it with witchcraft or with sexually transmitted infections.”

“This is bad because the disease ends up escalating because it is wrongly treated or ignored,” she added.

Bulala urges the public to donate organs and blood in order to help others.

“I think it is important to donate because through that donation you will be saving other people’s lives,” she said.  “You might find that the same blood you donate can save your own life some other time.”